Phillips specializes in local foods and small farms and encourages livestock owners to attend “Summer Pastures? Start Now!”

“Weeds can significantly reduce the quantity of forage available. Therefore, controlling weeds should be a top priority for livestock owners,” says Phillips.

The evening program will begin with a walk through Lockwood’s equestrian pastures, followed by a two-hour indoor presentation that will focus on general pasture management principles for horse and small livestock owners, forage, weed and toxic plant identification, weed control techniques and herbicide safety.

“Summer Pastures? Start Now!” is the first of three pasture workshops designed to educate livestock owners about new strategies to enhance the quality of their pastures. The second workshop, “Efficient Pasture Grazing,” will assist livestock owners in designing a successful rotational grazing system. The third workshop, “Grazing By Design,” is intended for producers with some knowledge of Management Intensive Grazing principles and an interest in learning more about system layout and design.

“Summer Pastures? Start Now!” costs $20 per person or $30 per couple. To register or learn more about the 2011-2012 Pasture Workshop Series, call the University of Illinois Extension-Winnebago County office at (815) 986-4357 or visit the website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw/.